Improvement in water-wheels



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

ALBERT STIMPSON, OF VIOCKINGrHAllI, VERMONT.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-WH EELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 3,567, dated April 25,1844.`

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT STIMPsoN, of Rockingham, in the county ofWindham and State of Vermont, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Tater-Wheels; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, inwhich- Figure 1 is Van isometrical view; Fig. 2, a section; Fig. 3,movable chutes.

The nature of myinvention consists in combinin g movable adjustablechutes with a doodiug-gate in the race.

The curb a is formed with a circular rim having a tangent spout bopening into it, and having a bottom which makes the curb watertight. Insaid bottom there is a hole made large enough to admit the wheel, aroundwhich are conductors c for conveying the water onto the wheel. Theconductors are curved chutes, which are so constructed that they turn oncenters in the rim c. The outside of rim c is surrounded by a movablering ci". This ring is coupled with each of the conductors by a shortrod, as shown in Fig. In moving said ring in one direction all thechutes or conductors can be closed. In the other direction they areopened and the size ofthe opening adjusted to the amount of powerrequired. The action ot these chutes is somewhat similar to a Venetianblind.

The wheel is of a construction similar to center-vent Wheels now in use,d being the Wheel andf the shaft.

Below the curb, which is elevated, the tailrace is inclosed at c, oneside only being left open for the escape of the tail-water. In saidopening a gate g, of any ordinary construction, is placed, which whenclosed stops the head-Water, renders the Wheel motionless, and keeps itooded,the head-Water being retained in thecurb. By this arrangement 'theWheel is prevented from freezing up in cold weather, p

and the conductors are always free to move. When the gate g is opened,the Water escapes freely through the wheel into the space e, it beingregulated only by the conductors as to quantity; and the tail-race beinglarger than the apertures through the Wheel, there is no Hood-Waterbelow.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The combination of the movable conduct"- ors with gate in the tail-racebelow the Wheel, constructed and arranged in themanner and for thepurpose herein set forth.

ALBERT STIM PSON.

Witnesses:

FREDERiCK A. WATEIss, SAMUEL WALES.

